IT took a patient display by last year?s grand finalists Ipswich to finally break the ABC Television hoodoo for home teams after 11 rounds of the Queensland Cup, when the Jets posted a 42-26 win over Easts at Bendigo Bank Oval. Tigers fullback Wade Liddell opened the scoring but a dart from dummy half by Ipswich hooker Jamie Tomlinson levelled the scores at 6 all after 15 minutes.

NEW South Wales has set the scene for an old-fashioned State of Origin arm wrestle with its selection of Shaun Timmins at five-eighth for game one in Brisbane. Blues coach Phil Gould and chairman of selectors Bob Mccarthy have conceded Timmins' selection has been made with his defence in mind.

REFEREE Bill Harrigan has been appointed to control next week's opening State of Origin game - his 11th in a row and 19th overall. Harrigan has already refereed more matches than any other whistleblower.

THE Sydney Airport Jets' 28-26 loss to the Roosters last Saturday faithfully followed an age-old Newtown script, with the gallant Jets taking their more fancied opponents right to the wire, only to be denied victory virtually in the final moments of the game.
There certainly could be no doubting the Jets' courage, as they went into this game with several key players missing through injury, and suffered more losses during the match. Newtown was actually down to two men on the interchange bench for the entire second half, up against a crack Roosters side boasting several players who could command NRL spots with a number of other clubs.
The game was tied up 12-all at half-time, and the Jets looked to be long odds as the Roosters swept to a 24-12 lead early in the second half. The Sydney Airport Jets staged a thrilling fightback, scoring three great tries to lead by 26-24, only to see the Roosters save the match with a try less than two minutes from the final siren.
The best performers in a hard working Sydney Airport Jets team were Tabua Cakacaka, Russell Richardson (three tries), Billy Najarrin, the impressive Dean Loder, Trevor Schodel, Craig West and Troy Barnes. Second rower Joe Lichaa, in only his second game of the season, made forty tackles and played out the entire eighty minutes.
In the Jim Beam Cup curtain raiser at Henson Park, Newtown led Guildford 10-8 at the break. The Jets were off their game badly in the second half, as the visitors ran away to a 40-10 win.
The Sydney Airport Jets are at home again this Saturday (June 7), when they play St. George-Illawarra in the NSW Premier League at Henson Park. This is a stand alone match kicking off at 3pm. In the Jim Beam Cup, Newtown travels to Ringrose Park to play Wentworthville, with this match due to start at 4.30 pm on Saturday.

ST George Illawarra has been forced to move its round 17 National Rugby League game against Brisbane to Wollongong's WIN Stadium after free-to-air network Channel Nine chose it as its Friday night match.